Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Longitudinal Evaluation of Mouse Hind Limb Bone Loss After Spinal Cord Injury using Novel, in vivo, Methodology
Published on: December 7, 2011
Weight Trajectories from Birth and Bone Mineralization at 7 Years of Age
Teresa Monjardino1, Teresa Rodrigues2, Hazel Inskip3
1Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto (Epidemiology Research Unit [EPIUnit], Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto), Porto, Portugal; Department of Public Health, Forensic Sciences and Medical Education, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto (University of Porto Medical School), Porto, Portugal.
Insights
Children with persistent weight gain since birth showed significantly higher bone mineral content and density at age 7. Later weight gain may be more beneficial for bone health than normal weight gain during early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Bone Metabolism
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Childhood weight trajectories are associated with long-term health outcomes.
- Bone mineral acquisition during childhood is crucial for skeletal health later in life.
- Understanding the impact of different weight gain patterns on bone development is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between distinct weight gain trajectories from birth to 7 years of age and bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at 7 years.
- To determine if specific patterns of weight gain influence bone accrual in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 1889 children in the Generation XXI birth cohort.
- Employed normal mixture modeling to identify weight gain trajectories: 'normal weight gain,' 'weight gain during infancy,' 'weight gain during childhood,' and 'persistent weight gain.'
- Assessed subtotal BMC, aBMD, and size-corrected BMC (scBMC) at age 7 using whole-body dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry and analysis of covariance.
Main Results:
- Children in all non-normal weight gain trajectories exhibited significantly higher BMC, aBMD, and scBMC at age 7 compared to the 'normal weight gain' group.
- The 'persistent weight gain' trajectory showed the strongest positive association with bone mass in both girls and boys.
- After adjusting for current weight or body composition, 'weight gain during childhood' remained associated with greater BMC and aBMD, particularly in girls.
Conclusions:
- Persistent weight gain since birth is linked to substantially increased bone mass by age 7.
- Weight gain occurring later in childhood may offer some skeletal benefits compared to a normal weight trajectory.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering the timing and pattern of weight gain for optimal bone development in children.
Objective:
To assess whether different trajectories of weight gain since birth influence bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at 7 years of age.
Study Design:
We studied a subsample of 1889 children from the Generation XXI birth cohort who underwent whole-body dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry. Weight trajectories identified through normal mixture modeling for model-based clustering and labeled "normal weight gain," "weight gain during infancy," "weight gain during childhood," and "persistent weight gain" were used. Differences in subtotal BMC, aBMD, and size-corrected BMC (scBMC) at age 7 years according to weight trajectories were estimated through analysis of covariance.
Results:
Compared with the "normal weight gain" trajectory, children in the remaining trajectories had significantly greater BMC, aBMD, and scBMC at age 7 years, with the strongest associations for "persistent weight gain" (girls [BMC: 674.0 vs 559.8 g, aBMD: 0.677 vs 0.588 g/cm2, scBMC: 640.7 vs 577.4 g], boys [BMC: 689.4 vs 580.8 g, aBMD: 0.682 vs 0.611 g/cm2, scBMC: 633.0 vs 595.6 g]). After adjustment for current weight, and alternatively for fat and lean mass, children with a "weight gain during childhood" trajectory had greater BMC and aBMD than those with a "normal weight gain" trajectory, although significant differences were restricted to girls (BMC: 601.4 vs 589.2 g, aBMD: 0.618 vs 0.609 g/cm2).
Conclusion:
Overall, children following a trajectory of persistent weight gain since birth had clearly increased bone mass at 7 years, but weight gain seemed slightly more beneficial when it occurred later rather than on a normal trajectory during the first 7 years of life.
Related Concept Videos
01:40Bone Remodeling
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
01:24Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification